A Coordinated Message

Unless you’ve been hiding under a rock (or spending sleepless nights with a newborn), you’ve heard about the coordinated push to promote volunteerism, both overtly and covertly in tv shows next week.  Over 90 programs, including many scripted sitcoms and dramas will try to “plant seeds” of volunteerism:

Embedding something into entertainment plants a seed that has value in ways a (PSA) doesn’t. You’re not beating someone over the head with it,” says CSI: NY’s Hill Harper.

“Why not use what we do best — storytelling — as a way to promote this, and do it in a way that reaches the most people,” [ABC Head of Scheduling] Bader says.

I can visualize the e-mails I’m going to receive now, so before you get your panties in a bunch, I’m not complaining about volunteerism.  Volunteering is great and I appreciate the spirit behind these efforts.  But, what if the Hollywood liberal elites next decide to join a coordinated effort to push homosexual marriage?  What if they decide to coordinate a message that marijuana use is ok?  What if they decide to work together to “plant seeds” opposing religion and criticizing your faith?    What if they choose next to propel the idea that everyone should be covered by socialized health care and opposition to it is racist and wrong?  What if they join together to promote one candidate over another during a pivotal national election?

oh wait… did they do all that already?

My problem with this is a bunch of people who likely only volunteer when there are cameras around (or when fulfilling court-ordered community service) telling the rest of us in “flyover” country what to think and how to act.  President Barack Obama and his wife (who helped spearhead this whole campaign) didn’t give squat to charity (as a percentage of income) until he started running for President.  Joe Biden gave even less… much less.  Yet these are the people telling us what we should do with our money and our time?

There isn’t a problem with volunteerism in this nation… not in this Christian nation anyway.  Visit virtually any church (except those saying G-D America) on any given Sunday and you will hear announcement after announcement about mission trips, volunteer work, and community involvement.  We don’t need some sanctimonious Hollywood liberal to push us into doing the right thing.  We try and do the right thing everyday.  It’s not just something to fill time between DNC fundraisers, lavish parties and support for a child rapist.  Most of us plant our “seeds” for a greater purpose than good PR or whether Aston Kutcher will like us or not.

And countless other Americans volunteer their time, their treasure and their blood… not for recognition or a free trip to Disney World, but because it is something they want to do.  As a nation we are the most generous people in the world.  But that doesn’t fit the narrative of the liberal elite who desperately want to demonize our people to feel better about their lives.  And it certainly doesn’t fit with the message of this President who feels he needs to “remake America” and save us from ourselves.

The leftists have already put their concerted Hollywood effort behind the  “Green” movement.  Over the last few years they have “donated” a week or so where every program has some message about climate change and the little tv logos (affectionately referred to as bugs) in the corners are colored green in case the stupid viewers at home didn’t get the message.  We shouldn’t pay attention to the fact that Scientists actually disagree with the whole concept of man made global warming, and the left elites have ulterior motives for pushing this green agenda.

I don’t think the volunteerism push is as complex as the promotion of the “green” agenda.  In this case, the problem is not the message, but the messenger, and the precedent being set for future coordinated efforts.  If we don’t pay attention to the seeds being “planted” in our children about volunteerism… will we sit equally silent when the message is more sinister?  These are the same people telling us that Global Warming skeptics are akin to Holocaust deniers… and if you disagree with this President you are stupid.  Today’s message is volunteerism, but what will tomorrow’s be?  Just wait until gay marriage is on the ballot again or the next election cycle heats up.

If the government and the entertainment industry can come together to bring about a message, any message, you have to wonder what slippery slope we are on.  And you really have to be concerned about what’s coming next.